Making a name for himself

This isn’t actually Lubiak. Rookies don’t get pictures.

Rookie Lubiak shows everyone how it’s done

Article: Brady Lang – Sports Writer

[dropcaps round=”no”]I[/dropcaps]saac Lubiak has had quite the start to his CIS career.

Lubiak, a rookie on the University of Regina’s men’s wresting squad, took home the bronze medal at Nationals after capturing silver in the Canada West Championships just two weeks prior.

Lubiak believes that using his underdog status in the competition really propelled him to what he needed to do in order to come in third at Nationals.

“It was a good experience; no one really knew me or what I was about so having that underdog feel was really nice,” said Lubiak, who competes in the 120-kilogram division. “I just wanted to go in there and wrestle like I usually do. I know that I’m good, but this proved to me how much I can push myself.”

While some rookies become quite nervous when competing on such a large stage, Lubiak took the opportunity to impress in stride.

“The whole season I just wanted to do well,” he said. “I wanted to push through into the playoffs and getting second is a really big deal. Going into Nationals I just wanted to do the same thing [that I’ve been doing this year].”

Lubiak took home the bronze in the 120 kg weight category after only losing once in the CIS Nationals – to eventual gold medal winner Jeremy Latour of Guelph. Lubiak believes if he could do it again, some tactics may have changed.

“If I could have done a little bit more of offensive wrestling rather than the defensive wrestling I’m used to doing,” said the Regina product. “Usually, I wait for them to do something wrong and then I will try to capitalize on that.”

After wrestling for 13 years around Regina, and competing as a Balfour Redman in high school, Lubiak has always believed that competing at the CIS level was obtainable; especially going through the club program they have here at the University.

“When I started, it was elementary school and our principal was hosting it,” said Lubiak. “My parents basically let me do whatever I wanted, so I went out, but after he left, we didn’t have a program at our school. I decided to go into club wrestling [through middle school], until high school. Doing club practices at the University, it’s always felt like the coaches have liked me and I’ve felt comfortable here. I felt like I’ve always had a chance here at the University.”

Leo McGee, seen here cheering his butt off

This is just the start to Lubiak’s five years here in the wrestling program and it seems as if he’s in good contention to get back to this point, or better, in the following years. If Lubiak can continue to do what he does best, the Regina product will have many medals in the Canada West and CIS levels.

Lubiak wasn’t the only one to have success at the CIS championships this year.

The men’s wrestling team ended up eighth in the standings when it was all said and done at Nationals with 21 points. The Cougars had six men competing while four women were at the CIS Championships. Those four women were able to finish in a three-way tie for sixth in overall standings.

The men’s Cougars had fifth-place finishes were from rookies Reza Mosallat- in the 61 kg and Lucas Hoffert- in the 68 kg-, while Matt Fedler-in the 72 kg- placed sixth, Rylan Petterson- in the 82 kg was seventh, and Conner McLachlan – in the 54 kg –and Sean Belisle – in the 90 kg – both were eighth.

In the ladies division, three of the four ladies competing were able to make it to the bronze medal game, yet weren’t able to defeat their opponents and all finished in fourth place. Danielle Anderson (59 kg), Kristine Longeau (72 kg), and rookie Emily Foerster (82 kg) all finished in fourth while Kayla Brodner (67 kg) finished in fifth.

[button style=”e.g. solid, border” size=”e.g. small, medium, big” link=”” target=””]Image: Arthur Ward[/button]